Daughter applied for pay day loans using mother's name

Kelly Marie Lamont leaves court after being given a suspended sentence for making fraudulent pay day loan applications.

A WOMAN who made applications for pay day loans using her mother’s name and employment details walked free from court, but with a suspended prison sentence hanging over her.

Kelly Marie Lamont admitted two charges of fraud by false representation, but denied four similar counts, at a plea hearing at Durham Crown Court in June.

On the day of her scheduled trial, last month, Lamont admitted a further two counts.

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The prosecution agreed to leave the remaining two counts on the file to proceed to sentence on the four charges admitted by the defendant.

Shaun Dryden, prosecuting, told Friday’s (August 22) sentencing hearing, that Lamont legitimately used an unused bank account of her mother, occasionally for internet shopping and to pay in her wages, from a local bus company.

Her mother subsequently discovered, however, that several loan applications had been made in her name, with the money withdrawn from the account.

Mr Dryden said of the four applications, made over two days last September, three were granted for £200 each, one minus a £15 administration fee, but a fourth was not paid due to account arrears.

“Her mother, however, was completely unaware applications had been made.

“She didn’t make them and hadn’t given her daughter permission to make them,” Mr Dryden told the court.

It was reported to police and Lamont, of Elliott Road, Peterlee, was arrested on December 4, making no replies when interviewed about the allegations.

But, in a second interview, in January, she claimed she was given permission to apply for the loans and her mother, who she told police had financial difficulties, was sitting next to her when she made them.

These claims were checked and it was discovered two of the applications were made while Lamont was travelling on a Sunderland to Bury coach service.

Mr Dryden said when Lamont was originally arrested she made counter claims, all subsequently proved to be untrue, against her mother, which led to her undergoing complaints procedure at work.

Don MacFaul, mitigating, said Lamont, 27, is the mother of two children, the second only ten-weeks-old, and is not earning money at the moment, but she would repay what she could afford to pay.

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